Method for preparing low-calorie aerated structure

ABSTRACT

A puffed foam-like structured food product is made by baking a dough piece from a mixture of xanthan gum and dextrin.

United States Patent Farkas METHOD FOR PREPARING LOW-CALORIE AERATED STRUCTURE [75] Inventor: Elizabeth Farkas, Yonkers, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: General Foods Corporation, White Plains, N.Y.

[22] Filed: July 21, 1972 [21] App]. N0.: 274,032

[52] US. Cl 426/141, 426/213, 426/351,

426/804 [51] Int. Cl A231 1/18 [58] Field of Search 99/1, 81,82, 83

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,097,946 7/1963 Menzi 99/1 Primary Examiner-Raymond N. Jones E Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thaddius J. Carvis; Daniel J. Donovan; Bruno P. Struzzi [5 I ABSTRACT A puffed foam-like structured food product is made by baking a dough piece from a mixture of Xanthan gum and dextrin.

4 Claims, N0 Drawings 1 METHOD FOR PREPARING LOW-CALORIE AERATED STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to anovel, extremely aerated and crisp structure and the method of preparing the same. Specifically it concerns the novel method of preparing a composition of xanthan gum and dextrin from which the puffed, low-calorie structured product is derived.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to produce puffed food products such as cereals and snacks from a cooked dough which is formed into pellets and thereafter subjected to heat and a suddendecrease in pressure so that the pellet will expand in size, after which the pellets are dried in their expanded condition. This process has come to be known and gun-puffing.

The prior art also describes a process for the manufacture of porous bakery or food products from an uncooked dough which is formed into pellets and thereafter very carefully dried at low temperatures so as-not to disrupt the starch granules or the moisture contained therein. These substantially air dried pellets are then subjected to heat and a differential in pressure so that the pellets will expand in size and assume a porous structure.

More recent attempts at making a puffed snack or cereal product are evidenced in US. Pat. No. 3,505,076 issued Apr.. 7, 1970 in which it is taught that a cereal grain matrix chosen from the group consisting of puffed cereal grains and puffed cereal doughs is impregnated with a slurry comprised of fat and starch. Accordingly,

additional quantities of starch may be added prior to the cooking step to improve the tant product.

In the case of the uncooked dough which is formed into pellets and subsequently gun-puffed, in addition to objectionable clustering or sticking together of these pellets, theresulting product is not of adequate (i.e., sufficiently low) density and crispness of texture to render a suitable snack-type product In addition, if tem peratures and pressures in gun-puffing are increased in orderto obtain the density and texture necessary, the material shatters very badly. Such approaches are therefore not commercially practical.

Regarding the'fat/starch complex impregnated system, the starch is present in the slurry in an amountsufficient to substantially coat the surface of the cereal matrix when the same is impregnated with the slurry and in order to fill the pores of the expanded matrix to puffability of the re'sulmaintain the puffed character of the product. The end result is aproduct offering a stablepuffed structurebut one which is virtually held together with calories.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This puffing effect was indeed unexpected since those skilled in the art most often associate such apuffing phenomenon with the presence of starch granules. For example, in the case of oatmeal, the starch is in the form of minute granules which are only slightly soluble in water at room temperature. When subjected to heat in the presence of water, these starch granules rupture producing the puffed effect. In the case-of salt-puffing, virtually the same effect is derived when the sodium chloride crystals disrupt the starch granules by giving off moisture when subjected to heat, thus causing the starch granules to rupture and expand. The secret to puffed cereals, snacks and the like therefore has been the presence of starch granules.

The advantages of this novel puffed product are numerous. Not only does it offer a simplified method of producing a puffed foodstuff, thus alleviating the need for more complex processes such as gun-puffing, saltpuffing, steam-puffing and the like, but it represents a unique low-calorie product which is economical to produce.

It is therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a puffed low-calorie foodstuff.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The composition of this invention is prepared from a mixture of xanthan gum and dextrin.

Dextrin is well-known in the art as being a starch gum produced by theincomplete hydrolysis of starch, having the general formula (C I-I O ),,x H O. It is more commonly regarded as a product of cereal degradation.

Xanthan gum however, is a fermentation product of glucose and is commonly referred to as being a fermentation gum. The xanthan gum which is employed in this inventionmay be illustrated by the Xanthomonas colloid produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. By the process of fermentation, a long chain polysaccharide is formed which has a periodically repeating glucose-mannose-glucuronic acid configuration that is believed to be the key factor in its unique properties. The production of xanthan gum is more fully described in US. Pat. No. 3,507,664. An added feature of xanthan gum is that on an as is basis i.e., on the basis of its 15 percent digestibility, xanthan gum has a caloric value of 0.5 oak/gm. i

It has been found that when xanthan gum and dextrin are combined with water to form a dough, allowed to about 1:1 and subsequently mixed with water. The

amount of water needed usually ranges from 40 to 50 percent to prevent theformation of atoo dryor too wet product. The paste is worked to a shiny, stringy, dough-like consistency. It is critical that the dough be allowed to stand for aperiod of atleast 18 to 24.hours prior tobakingforthedesired degreeofpuffingto occuryotherwise the resultantproduct is puffedbut wet,

sticky and soon collapses. Xanthan gum and dextrin are not chemically incompatible as other gums would be and it is believed that this rather extended latent period is required for these two compatible gums to orientate their polymer structures and consequently exhibit their synergistic effects in causing this puffed, porous,

freeze-dried-like structure to form. The dough is subse- 5 in the art that specific systems may be mentioned withquently rolled out, cut, and baked for about 15 to 20 out limiting the scope of the invention.

min. in a 300F to 400F degree oven. The higher temperatures for shorter periods have been found to be EXAMPLE I necessary for the puffing effect to take place. The following xanthan gum/dextrin systems were Various gums have been tested In combmatlon wl h to mixed in the ratio of 3:2 and 1:2 respectively and xanthan g 31011? and Wlth Q P alne ufldf h worked with water in a mortar and pestle until shiny exact m expeflmental Poljldltlons as W111 be and stringy. After allowing them to stand for approxidenced the Tables harem f A y f l mately 21 hours they were subsequently rolled out into Starch f P P P Y tested for Puffing quahtles a sheet of /8 inch thickness. Salt was sprinkled on the due to its amylopecttn structure which has been found dough for Seasoning The dough was Subsequently out to yleld f i f gg f lz d g 32' into /.2 inch squares, placed on a baking sheet and x l 2 '5, th d t 9 Issue d h baked in the oven for 15 minutes at 400F.

l S S) g a a g t A comparative calorie study was carried out on the 813 t edcom t t tg an f g l xanthan gum/dextrin product and on popular carbohya e .emons e.umque pu.mg q drate-based and deep-fat fried snacks. synergistic association being most evident in the tnability of either component to reproduce these results when tested separately. Carbohydrate'based snacks:

The following systems were prepared using the afore- I mentioned specified conditions: Salt stcks caL/gm Pretzels 3.90 cal/gm. TABLE I Crackers 3.84 caL/gm.

Com Xanthan gum/dextrin A B C D E '1 (60/40) 1.90 cal/gm.

xanthan gum 50 25 25 Deep-fat fried snacks: Dextrin 50 25 25 25 Gum 2 Fried pork rind 5.49 cal./gm. Gum tragacanth 25 v Waxy maize Potato ChlpS 5.68 caL/gm. starch 25 Water 50 5O 5O 50 50 Xanthan gum/dextrin too 100 100 100 100 100 (33/66) 2.83 cal./gm.

TABLE II *Samples A-E and Control same as in Table l X Baked immediately after preparation Y Baked after standing for 24 hours A B C D E Control X shiny, stringy puffed puffed, hollow, wet, collapsed puffed, shiny but collapsed would not form a retained shape wet, pale, small hollow, shiny slightly wet,

I dough. Dried out of dough. Did collapsed on baking to a not dry out on glassy, porous baking. Remained Y hard shell on outside, structure doughy puffed but hollow, similar to X puffed, shiny,

hollow center, porous dry, dark, no but greater porous, dry slightly shiny foamy, porous puff, wet, pale foamy structure structure collapsed The xanthan gum/dextrin product is useful in variety XAMPLE II of systems. For example after baking it can be filled with low fat cheeseto produce a low-calorie cheese snack, or can be sprinkled with a variety of seasonings to produce numerous low-calorie flavored puffs e.g. onion, bacon, garlic and the like. It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that this invention finds utility In the following'examples, there are given specific formulae illustrative of the present invention. These formulae are not to be construed as restrictive of the invention, however, as it will be obvious to those skilled A dry mix of 50 percent xantham gum and 50 percent dextrin was made and combined with water to form a 50 percent water-containing paste. The paste was worked like a very sticky dough in a mortar and pestle until it became stringy and shiny. It was covered and let stand for 24hours. Subsequently, it was rolled out into a sheet of Va inch thickness with some salt sprinkled on it. One half inch squares were cut and placed on a baking sheet and baked in the oven at 400F for 15 minutes. They puffed up into fragile, crisp pillow shaped pieces that remained shiny and had a foam-like structure in the center.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a low-calorie puffed foodstuff which comprises: 1

a. preparing a dry mix of xanthan gum and dextrin within the ratio of 1:2 to 2:1;

b. combining the dry mixture of xanthan gum and dextrin with water to form a paste;

0. working with xanthan gum/dextrin paste until it assumes a stringy, shiny, dough-like consistency;

d. allowing the dough to stand for a period of at least 5 18 hours;

e. rolling out the dough to a thickness effective to produce a thin-crusted coherent product,

f. baking the xanthan gum/dextrin dough.

2. The method of claim 1 which comprises: a. preparing a dry mix of xanthan gum and dextrin in the ratio of about 1:1;

4. The product produced by the process of claim 2. 

2. The method of claim 1 which comprises: a. preparing a dry mix of xanthan gum and dextrin in the ratio of about 1:1; b. combining the xanthan gum and dextrin mix with about 50 percent water to form a paste; c. working the xanthan gum/dextrin paste until it becomes stringy, shiny, and dough-like; d. allowing the dough to stand for 24 hours; e. rolling out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch; f. baking the xanthan gum/dextrin dough for 15 minutes in a 400*F oven.
 3. The product produced by the process of claim
 1. 4. The product produced by the process of claim
 2. 